Chief Cook salary at sea: November 2026
Catering Department
The median monthly salary offered to a Chief Cook is $2,500. Half of the vacancies offer between $2,200 and $2,850. The typical contract is 4 months. Based on 62 vacancies from 22 companies in August–October 2026.
- Median
- $2,500per month
- Middle half
- $2,200–2,85025th to 75th percentile
- Vacancies
- 6222 companies, 1 Aug–31 Oct 2026
Contents8
1Pay distribution
How many vacancies offer each amount.
- median $2,500
- middle half, $2,200–2,850
Table
| Monthly pay | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| 1,500–$1,749 | 0 |
| 1,750–$1,999 | 0 |
| 2,000–$2,249 | 19 |
| 2,250–$2,499 | 6 |
| 2,500–$2,749 | 17 |
| 2,750–$2,999 | 7 |
| 3,000–$3,249 | 11 |
| 3,250–$3,499 | 0 |
| 3,500–$3,749 | 1 |
| $3,750 and above | 1 |
2By vessel type
Median and range by vessel type. The vertical line is the rank's median across all vessels. The range is shown from 30 vacancies and 5 companies; otherwise only the median.
- median
- middle half
- median across all vessels, $2,500
| Vessel type | Median | Pay distribution | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil tanker31 vacancies, 10 companies | $2,700 | middle half $2,350–3,000 | |
| General cargo and multipurpose11 vacancies, 4 companies | $2,300 | range: not enough data |
Chief Cook: on oil tankers the median is $2,700, on general cargo and multipurpose vessels $2,300.
3By sailing area
The sailing area is stated in only 41 vacancies of 62, so there are few rows. One vacancy can name several areas.
| Sailing area | Median | Pay distribution | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide35 vacancies, 11 companies | $2,500 | middle half $2,300–2,950 |
4Contract length
Share of vacancies by contract length, as stated in the vacancy. The length is stated in 62 vacancies of 62.
5By month
| Month | Median of new vacancies | Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | $2,600 | 19 |
| September 2026 | $2,550 | 21 |
| October 2026 | $2,550 | 14 |
Too few vacancies to conclude: one of the months has fewer than 100.
6Related ranks
7Methodology
Vacancies published on Rynda Crewing and open for at least one day in August–October 2026. Each vacancy counts once; the lower bound of the pay range is used; monthly pay only; conversion to US dollars at the rate on the day the vacancy appeared. More on the methodology
According to Rynda Crewing, vacancies for the Chief Cook rank in August–October 2026 offered a median of $2,500 per month (62 vacancies). https://crewing.rynda.io/en/salaries/2026-11/chief-cook
8Questions and answers
What is a Chief Cook offered on an oil tanker?
The median in vacancies on oil tankers is $2,700 per month (31 vacancies from 10 companies in August–October 2026).
What is the pay range for a Chief Cook?
Half of the vacancies offer between $2,200 and $2,850 per month; the median is $2,500.
What contract length is typical for a Chief Cook?
Most often 1 month: stated in 19 vacancies of 62 vacancies that give a length.
Where can I find Chief Cook vacancies?
Open vacancies for this rank are collected in its Jobs section and updated daily: https://crewing.rynda.io/en/jobs/chief-cook
Looking for a job? Open vacancies with pay are in this rank's Jobs section. Create your CV: seafarers don't pay.